Better Together | ✓

9 | beginning

Horoscopes were prepared birth charts that were useful in predicting the future of an individual and ascertaining his or her compatibility with the proposed marriage partner, according to religious texts. 

Ruhaani had listened on very intently while the Pandit had explained. There were thirty six gunas. A guna was an element of reality that could affect an individual's psychological, emotional and energetic states. These gunas had to be compared in order to determine of two people were compatible. For approving a marriage by the vedic texts, there should be not less than eighteen guna matches between the bride and the groom's horoscopes. 

Ruhaani found it hard to believe that the birth charts which were determined by time of birth and the positions of planets at that time, could determine future of an individual. However, she didn't disrespect it. That's why she had asked her aunt to not change her birth year in the horoscope a few days back. A big argument had followed. Ruhaani had informed her uncle and aunty that she had already told Aadarsh that she was twenty nine, a few months older than him.

What came as a surprise to everyone was that their horoscopes were a very good match. A score of thirty one out of thirty six. The Pandit was thrilled. It was the first time in his practice that he had come across a couple with thirty-one guna match. He said it was a really big signal to trust God and go ahead with the proposal. Badi Bua who seemed to be the most religious of the lot was just a much thrilled. She had mentioned that it was the best match in the family so far. A family where love marriages were predominant.

However, Shelly Bua had turbed a blind eye to all that and caught her age and made a issue out of her age, of the fact that she was older than Aadarsh.

"It's just a few months, beside our horoscopes are a very good match, so it shouldn't make a difference!" Aadarsh had said and silenced her at once. Ruhaani had started understanding the dynamics of the family slowly. Aadarsh was the one in command.

One evening, Arti had accompanied her for a late night hot chocolate. The first chills of the winter had arrived. They had both been in bed with the blanket around them and hot cups of chocolate in hand.

"Do you really like him? Or is your situation forcing you to accept the proposal?" Arti had asked. It was no secret to Arti that Ruhaani was not happy how her life was running lately. Ruhaani always complained of life running past her. She was overworked. She did two jobs on the weekdays and then conducted yoga classes for ladies on weekend mornings and dance classes for kids of the society in the evenings. 

"I like him." Was all Ruhaani could say. She was still figuring out if she actually liked him.

"Are you sure? Doesn't the whole idea of marriage give you chills? I mean, he is a stranger, you don't even know him properly. How can one decide to stay with a person one barely knows?" Arti has vocalized her thoughts.

"That's an arranged marriage for you. At least we get the privilege of knowing the person a little bit, in previous generations they'd barely get a picture or a bio data if lucky." Ruhaani had answered.

That night Ruhaani couldn't sleep. She had sat up thinking if she was doing the right thing. She wasn't going to refute the fact that, Aadarsh coming from a really well to do family was one of the factors she was marrying him. There would never be a debate about money, about finances, about making ends meet, about escalating prices in the market. They would have enough to be comfortable. She would never have to say no or manipulate Pari to not ask for some toy or something she needed.

Then there was his family, his siblings. The twins already had made a place for themselves in her heart. Nirvaan didn't interact with her much but Mukti clearly loved spending time with her. Ashvi was a nice girl, she seemed to be a little spoilt given how much she was pampered by her elder brothers but she still seemed someone pure at heart.